Portable bowling alley



Aug. 8, 1933. A. H. DUNLAP PORTABLE BOWLING ALLEY Filed July` l1, 1931 A5 Sheets-Sheet l 1%; ATTORNEY INVENTOR iff/0x73@ /z/ur Aug- 8, 1933 A.H. DUNLAP PORTABLE BOWLING ALLEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1931INVENTOR fo/yso Haz/ifa ATTORNEY A118 8, 1933 A. H. DUNLAP PORTABLEBOWLING ALLEY Filed July l1, 1931 `:5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 0/750Hun/a/ m ATTORNEY Patented 8,.'1933 i j Y UNITED .'STS'd PATENTFICE;1jr;y

` iczin'si ,PORTABLE'BOW'LING ALLEYA i Alfonso H. Dunlap, Chattanooga,Tenn. i Y' Application' Ji'iiy "11, 193-v1. *serie1No. 550,207 freforming.v (eigen-51) 'i i Y i i inyention relates to portablek:bowling alleys, iS a VieiV on aligii SocioOifif'hfifioou'` i andparticularly to bowling alleysiof the knockroi'gilii'i jfoiiii ai' theTighihofiio Sido'lof Fig-3; down type which can be setup out-of-doorsfor Fig. 11-S ii Sido eiovaiiion 0f @portion O fy the use during thesummer season, and taken'apart lili-i-iiiii ough SiiOWIi-n Figylr andstored or set up audused ,indoors for' the Fig-,12a iS 21 4Sootioii olfi'Choline 12%-12 ofgfigf 60 remainder of the year. To this end my inVen-10i find l j i tion comprises a sectional runway so constructed Fig' 1313,2# Plon 0f theunway Showing the Sec? as to be easily and rigidly puttogether, and which, tions ,Wiihntoongagiig endsi when in place, willnot warp, buckle or become ia; The Same I1l-1iiifoai1sv repeoonii thoSamelplis uneven.V This runway rests `upon a steel framefi'fii1`ol1gi-i0uiv .the speoiflooiiiiol and di?i..\/iIi}gSl,-/iv e *Awhich is. also mede in sections the 1engths of Thc'cifc-ciilcnethOf-tiicbcwlingciicyis about which are different from thelengths of theyrun- '55.6ei1 aldjil'io iciigihof tho IiirlWy iS 3130111340 waysections. The runway is anked on eachsid'e foot- Tilese'o-iiiioisioiis,of Course maYboVaIBd by angie-iron proieotor hei-s. theseotiohs ofwhich according cc thc chciccfcf clic 'cyvnc'r 0f thc bai? diifeiinYlength from thel iengths of Jthe runway f ocular cifcumctciiccs under"Wiiich the `bowling sections and also from the lengths of the framealloy iS to bo Used# The ,Supporting from@ .for heb sections. Thesedetails make an exceptionally funWo-V is modo Pfo'ably in iWoseotionsi'eaoh i i -rigid structure, since the joints of thefvariousofwhoh'ooinpl'isos oilgevfol Sidegba'so. v parts do not coincide.Thestructure also insures `eiigiofiloi oioSS bffiS 2l# AS ShoWii`iiilpigllli9, 2O an absolutely straight runway with all its sec.- thelower flanges of the Crossbal@ are cutaway V75 tions in the same plane,so that the surfaceg-Will as at 2,2 when they, aoiolii ,tho ioWel'flanges of .the ,1" be as uniform as if it were built upon a stationarySide bars and the upper flanges lof Said Cross i foundation U i barsextend outward beyond said side bars, as My invention includesv aplatform` forl the Shown at 2.3 The extensions 23 of tho-Cross balfs 425 players constructed similarly to the runway. VThe 21 are boil-t'upward-1Y- ai'd then outwardly toffoim 80 platform forms a separatesection at one end.` of elevated supiot ,24'for tho guard Tous 25! Whioh'the runway and a box or pit of special construei extend longitudinally@the $upp01`tng frameland i tion is secured at the other end of therunway. are also formefiof ongioo- The Sido bars 20 A light troughrigidly constructed in sections of #and CTSS.,ba1'S .21 ofiherame areholo-together i lskeleton form is supported on the framework of`byifmgle bfackts 26 Weided io the Cross barsv and,` '85 the runway andplatform. Especially constructed 'bolted tOi-thoslde bars# a i jackssupport the entire structure. Y The supporting framer the bowlersplatfmfm My invention consists in the details and com- (best Shown inFig@ y2.) @Qmprseszaf pair Qf Side" binations of elements hereindescribed `and set bars 27p one at eaoh Sido 'of,i"he Platform and' i' iforth in `the accompanying drawingsjinvwhich: angle'iron Cross bars 234The Cross bars 23 are (j Fig. 1 is a side elevation of ,the completebowling 'united' to 'm-aside bof'srz'l by. 'bolts 29. .Welded `into 'ialley; fthel angles of the" `cross `bars and extending Fig. 2 is an endView as viewed from the leftthroughpenihgs in the Side ha The Support'hand end of Fig. 1; ing frame for the bowlers platform is united to e 40Fig. 3 is a transverse cross section on the line theunWiy frame'by boltsextending throuti,rh 95' 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction ofihe'the Veriloal flanges 0f the @mss bars 21 M128. es Y shown in Figure4, andthe sections of the runway frame are secured together in the samemanner. AsV shown in 'Figures2, 6 and 7, brackets Slatarrows; i v Fig. 4is a top plan view of the bowling alleyV between the arrows 4 4 of Fig.1; Y F1 g 5 1S a vetlc'fl Cross ectln on the lme 5 5 form supporta rail32, and similar brackets 33 atif 0f Fig- 1, looking in the direction 0fthe aff-OWS; toehed to the side bei met the other side of the Fig- 6 isa Vertical Section on the .une .6-6 of platform support 4"one Vend-fofthe kbeill-rt'tiirri Fig. .2, locking in thc direction 0f thc arrows:trough which extends alongside tiii;'piei;foriiii.`

Fg looking toward the left? Y i e sections. I constructtherunwayyoralley floor-ff` Fig.v 8 is a section on theyline 8 8 vofFig.f4, preferably in four sectionsY of` approximately i looking towardthe right; i *e Y i equallength -in order to facilitate transportationFig. 9 is a view on a larger vscale of a portion and storage of sameyralthough the longer strips tached to the side bar;27.at one sideof theplat- 160V Fig. '7 iS a Vertical Section 011 the line 7-'-7of Ihave-described the framev as made in twor 165 of the lefthand side ofthealley shownin Fig.3; comprised in the end` Asections are ofVgreatervliio, i i

' the strips Y34.

length than the strips comprised in the intermediate sections, due tothe indented ends of the sections where the sections are connectedtogether.

The alley floor is constructed of strips 34, preferably of yellow pine,set on edge and side strips 35, which preferably are thicker rthan Thestrips 34 and 35 forming each section of the floor are connectedtogether by bolts 36 which extend through aligned transverse openings insaid strips, and the side strips 35,are recessed to receive the headsand nuts of the said bolts. At the meeting ends ofthe sections alternatestrips extend beyond the intermediate strips, and the projecting stripsof one Y section enter the recesses between the project-l ing strips ofthe other section, not only breaking joints but insuring a smooth, evensurface and accurate alignment of the sections. The sections maytherefore be made up at'the factory 'and be shipped ready to be laidupon the V3'7V may be bolted to the horizontal flanges ofthe e crossbars 21 and the flooring maybe secured in place in its supporting frameas by means of lagscrews 36a extending through openings in the`horizontal yflanges of the cross bars 2l into the lower sides of saidsections. The protecting bars 37 lare in sections of approximatelyuniform length, y

theaggregate length of same being rthe'same as f the aggregate length ofthe four sections of f flooring. The protecting bars areeach thereforeof a different length than that of the floor sections which additionallyinsures alignment of the oor sections. l

The floor of the players platform is Wider than the alley door and isformed of strips similarly to the alley floor. The strips 38constituting this floor are of equal length and vall terminate instraight transverse lines at the ends of the platform. The strips areassembled and secured together by bolts 39 extending through transversealigned openings Vin said strips and the side bars 27, as best shown inFigure 4.

The box or pit in which the pins are set up comprises side walls 40resting at their forward ends on the horizontal flanges of the guardrails v25 (see Figs. `1' and5) The'box also comprises a floor 41 and anend wall 42. A board 43 encloses the front end of the box, whileexposing at least the upper portion of the end of the runway. Theball-return trough, which extends throughout the length of the alley,comprises two parallelV angle-iron side bars 44 yconnected by yokes 45`(Figures 3 and 10). The yokes 45 are supported on standards 46, which inturn are carried by the lateral extensions 23 rof the cross bars 21 andthe brackets 33. Inthe bottom of eachyoke is a plate 48, and eachof theplates carries an inverted channel bar 47, which forms the bottom of theskeletontrough.` 4At the pit end beyond the'runway the yokes are carriedby straps 49 secured to the sides 40 of the pit or box. The ends of thetrough carry transverse bars 50 in which are mounted buff` fers 51.

A standard 53 extending upwardly from one of the side plates 27 carriesa score box 52.

The runway and platform are supported by jacks comprising base-portions54, screw-threaded portions 55, and nuts 57 on said screw-threadedportions. The screw-threaded portions are Y iiattened adjacent theirupper ends, as at 56, and such flattened portions `are secured to the 1cross bars 21 and 28 by bolts 58. v

What I claim is: Y

l. A portable bowling alley comprising a sectional supporting fraine,each section comprising side bars and angleiron cross bars, the verticall flanges 'of the cross bars being cut away where rthey meet the endbars and the horizontal i'ianges extending across and beyond the sidebars, the extended portions being offset at their ends to form elevatedseats, and angle-iron guardrails l supported on said seats.

2. A portable bowling alley, comprising a sectional runway, angle-ironguard bars spaced from the sides of said runway, each of said guard barszontal ange of one of said guard bars, an end 1` wall and a floor. e Y

3. A portable'bowling alley, comprising a seck tional runway, a pair ofguard bars supported,A

=portion of one of said guard bars which projects beyond said runway, afloor and an end Wall carried respectivelyby said side walls.Y tigoALFONSO H. DUNLAP.v

